Automatic railway signaling device.



O. L. BOPP.

AUTOMATIG- RAILWAY SIGNALING DEVICE.

APPLICATION TILED AUG. 10, 1910.

1,1 14,429. Patented 001;. 20, 1914.

To Track C1 rc mt Attumegs THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOTOLITHYI. WASHINGTON. D, cv

To all whom it may camera: Be it known that I, CLIN'roN L. Borr, a

citizen ofthd-United States, residing at" H awkeye, in the county of Fayette and State of'Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatlc Railway Signaling Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will; enable others skilled in the art to which it; appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in automaticrailway signaling devices, and

particularly to the indicator at the station.-

The ob ect in view is the arrangement in an automatic signaling device, of, an 1nd1-i 'CEttOI' provided with atraveling belt having;

-names thereon, and electrically controlled means formoving said belt step by step for.

lu'inging into view successively the names on the belt. '1 j i r -5 To this end the invention comprises cer-" tain novel constructions, combinations, and 5 arrangement of parts as w1ll be here nafter; more fully descr bed and claimed, and as 1sfv show-nin the accompanying sheet of draw:

. finished appearance.

.ings which is a perspective view of.the;.-de-' vice complete, omitting the inclosingcasing; In forming the indlcator embodylng the invention, and associating 'the same with switches and relays, together with a track circuit for operating the same, the VEIIIOUS} devices are arranged so that the lndicatlng I deviceis set up at thestation or at any other;

desired point, and theswitching devices at 1' "various points along thetrack, so as to bej operated by means pro ect1ng from moving trains passing over the track, whereby the circuit of the indicating device at the station or other point is closed for moving the indicatlng device and thus causing an 1nd1.

cation at all times of the position of the, various trains .as the same pass overthe system. i Q t The indicating devices are intended to be placed in stations, hotels, and the like, and

wired to be all actuated simultaneously from the same clrcuit. k

i The lndlcatmg device, more clearlyshown in the drawings maybe mountedin a suit.-

able housing (not shown) which is made of any desired material for incloslng the operatmg parts of the machine, and for giving a which may be-of any desired material, as for instance metal, to WhlCll the varlousdevices Specification of-Letters Patent;

In a framework 3 AUTOMATIC"nAILwAr'srGNALrnsnnvrcn.

Application filed Au ust 10, 1910. Serial N01. $76,458,

pair of axles or, supporting shaftst and5, upon which are'mounted the drums 6 and 7 whlchcarry endless web or belt 8. Said webSjis provided with a plurality ofpairs jecting from drums (Band 7. Theweb 8 is 1 also provided with the names of the respective stations along 3 thev track to. which the system is connected, so that as web 8 is fed *Paten'tedOct. so, 1914.

are connected "for support, is journaled a .of eyelets 9 for engaging pinslO and 11- proalso have rigidlysecured thereto sprockets 13 and 14 Sprockets Band 1a accommo date a chain .15 which passesover a com-' paratively large sprocket l6." Sprocket '16 is rigidly secured to a -counter shaft .17 j nounted-in a pair of cross braces of the frame. .A ratchet wheellS is rigidly secured Y Ito shaft and rotated in; one direction the reclprocatlon of. an upright actuating pawl 19, and is positively prevented from roheld to i'tswork by a spring 22 which may tating in the opposite direction bya retain- 5 ing pawl 20 held 'a 'ainst ratchet wheel 18 by spring 21, which spring may be adjusted by a suitabletension screw. Pawl .1 9 is also have the tension thereof regulated by an adjusting screw. mounted inthe upright arm of an L-shaped carrier 23which is .pivotally mounted at 24:, upon frame 3, and whose "horizontal" arm supports an armature 25.

Said arm hasan extension 26 which is permitted any desired play between adjustable stops 2? and 28. A sprin 29 isconnected with an oblique brace 30 on carrier 23 for holding the carrier .23 in position, and theextension 26 against said stop 28. ,Pawl 19'is ,t pivoted; at 31 to carrler 23so that whenever magnets 32 are energized and armature 25 is *attractedypawl. ;19 will be pulled longitudi;

nally forrotating one step ratchet wheel 18, s and consequently for moving chain ;15 so as to cause the ultimate movement of belt 8 a sufficient distance for disclosingto view another. name through anppening in the housing. The throw or movement of pawl 19 may be regulated by stops 27 and 28so as to move ratchet wheel 18 only one notch forward at each movement of the pawl.

Inorderto hold the web 80n its supporting and propelling drums, tension rollers 33 and34: are provided, eachof said tension rollers being formed with grooves 234 for accommodating the pins 10 and 11. Thesetension rollers 33 and 34 have their shafts 35 and 36 projecting through slots 37 and 38 for permitting an adjustment of the rollers. This adjustment is automatic, the same being made by pivotally mounted fingers 39 and 40 pressing against the shafts 35 and 36 under the tension of springs 41 and 42, which springs may be of the retractile kind or of the compression kind.

In order to permit a free rotation of the drums 6 and 7, but prevent any backward vmotion thereof, a pawl 43 is provided which fits into notches 44 in a wheel 45. The teeth between said notches'are rounded so as to. permit the end of pawl 43 to'slip freely over the same when the wheel 45 is positively rotated. Wheel 45 is rigidly secured to aXle 5- so that any movement of'the axle will be communicated to the wheel. Pawl 43 is held against wheel 45 by a suitable tension spring 46 which permits the pawl to slip from one notch 44 to the next as the belt 8 is moved.

Arranged at any desired point, preferably above web 8 and associated parts, are a pair of magnets 47 which when energized will move armature 48, and also a ball or clapper 49 which is connected therewith. At each energization of magnets 47 bell 50 will be'sounded at once for indicating that belt 8 has been moved one step forward, the magnets 47 being energized at the same time that magnets 32 are energized. The magnets 47 and 32 are energized from a local circuit con-nected to binding posts 51 and 52, while the line wires forming the circuit along the track are connectedto binding posts 53 and 54. Binding posts 53 and 54 are connected with magnets 55 which are energized when ever the track circuit is closed, and when energized attract armature 56 which moves from its back stop 57 to a frontstop 58, and connects wire 59 with framework 3, so that the current may pass from stop 58 to binding post 51 which is grounded on the framework 3.

In operation, when a train has passed any station along the track a switch interposed in-the circuit will be closed for permitting current to pass through the track circuit, which current will pass through' magnets 55 and energize the same. This will cause the closing of the local circuit connected with binding posts 51 and '52. Starting? with binding post 52 current flows through; wire 60, magnets 32, wire 61, magnets 47 wire 59, stop 58, armature 56, to the framework 3, and from the framework 3 through binding post 51. WVhen current flows in this circuit the web 8 will be moved one step forward and bell 59 will be sounded once, 50.

of being actuated by a shoe on the locomotive or motor car passing over the same; but the details of this track circuit, its switches, and the means on the train for closing the latter form no part of the present invention.

What is claimed isi '1. In an indicator, the combination with a plurality of drums, an endless web' moving over said drums, a counter shaft connected with the drums, a ratchet fast on said shaft, and a retaining pawl engaging said ratchet; of an L-shaped carrier having a horizontal arm pivoted in a support and carrying an armatureand an upright arm standing under said ratchet, an upright "actuating pawl pivoted at its lower end to said horizontal arm and with its upper end engaging said ratchet, a spring connecting this pawl with the upright arm of the carrier, and an electro-magnet below said armature; i Y

2.111 an indicator, the combination with a plurality of drums, an endless web moving over said drums, a counter shaft connected with the drums, a ratchet fast on said shaft, and a retaining pawl engaging said ratchet; of an L-shaped carrier having a horizontal arm pivoted in a support and carrying an armature and an upright arm standing under said ratchet, an upright actuating pawl pivoted at its lower end to said horizontal arm and with its upper end engaging said ratchet, a spring connecting this pawl with the upright arm of the cari rier, said horizontal arm being projected beyond its pivot, ad ustable stops above and below its pro ected portion, an electro-magnet below said armature, an oblique brace connecting the arms of'said carrier, and a spring leading from said brace to a fixed point for raising the armature from said magnet.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

" CLINTON L. BOPP.

lVitnesses:

EARL BURKI-IART, H. H. Sons.

Copies of this patent maybe obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. O. 

